This purpose of this project is to commemorate and honor lost womyn's space--both ancient and modern. This can mean anything from lost women's colleges and schools, to lesbian bars and clubs. And everything sacred and profane in between.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Grandmother's House

Grandmother's House

Bedroom at Grandmother's House

Location: 188 Euston, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, CanadaOpened: 2004Closed:Spring 2012It's so ridiculous when men's rights activists (MRAs) complain that women's spaces are privileged over men's spaces. Get down and look at the real track record. It's not true. In fact, it's a total misrepresentation of the truth.Grandmother's House was THE ONLY homeless shelter for aboriginal and non-aboriginal women on Prince Edward Island. And yet it closed last year for lack of money. This despite the fact that they were providing nearly 1,500 bednights a year. We're told the Native Council "couldn't find" $80,000 to keep it open. The province claims they never received a funding request, which I find dubious. In fact, even the Native Council claims they're basically lying.Meanwhile, the province had no problem finding (and coughing up) $50,000 to keep the men's shelter open. The Salvation Army (a notoriously homophobic/anti-woman organization) runs the men's shelter. Their representative makes noise here about opening something for women "some day" (never?). Meanwhile, the Native Council hopes to offer assistance to women like directing them to a food bank. Oh super. Handing out cans of beans should work out just great when the temperatures drop into the freezing range. P.E.I.'s only women's shelter won't reopen

P.E.I.'s only women's homeless shelter closed in the spring and won't reopen, because of a lack of money.
For eight years, Grandmother's House in Charlottetown was the province's only shelter for women .
Most nights it was full.
But in April, the Native Council of P.E.I. closed the facility because it couldn't find the $80,000 it needed to run the eight-bed facility, with one staff member.
The Native Council of P.E.I., couldn't find the money it needed to run the shelter, says Jamie Locke. (CBC)
"We looked everywhere. If there was a proposal to be written, we wrote one. And unfortunately, you know, there's a lot of people that compete for money for different projects and we couldn't find that steady source of income," said Jamie Thomas, council chief.
The province didn't receive any requests for money to keep the shelter open, Community Services Minister Valerie Docherty said.
Council to offer other support"I would like to see any interested group out there, non-profit organization, whatever interested party might be, if they feel there is a need for this, to come to us and partner with us just as we do with the Bedford MacDonald House," Docherty said.
However, in a statement sent to CBC News Friday, the Native Council of P.E.I. said it did meet with Docherty in January, but was told the province was unable to provide funds.
"Any discussion on submitting a proposald was ended," said Thomas.
Community Services Minister Valerie Docherty says the province didn't receive requests to keep Grandmother's House open. (CBC)
She added the council would now like to accept the minister's offer to partner on the project.
Meanwhile, The province provided Bedford MacDonald House — Charlottetown's only men's homeless shelter — with close to $50,000.
The Salvation Army plans to reopen the seven-bed facility in two weeks.
Capt. Jamie Locke hopes, with enough money, they can help make a women's shelter a reality some day.
"We know that great things can happen in a short period of time. So we remain open to that conversation and the possibilities of how we might be able to assist in those areas of a shelter," said Locke.
Although the Native Council can't provide shelter, they said they will offer homeless women other support, such as helping them find the food bank or getting a job.